Tonight is the LA Geek Dinner. I've got such mixed feelings about calling it "geek". Coming from the Bay Area almost everyone has some level of geekiness. But here in LA geeks are different. For one, I don't consider myself extremely technical - it's because I don't have a CS degree and don't code AJAX, client or server software. But I do know enough to call bullshit on clueless developers and enough to expect that even the best developer can explain whatever technological thing he's the master of and I'll get it.
But here's a funny story. I was at a Halloween party a few years ago when I first moved here and someone of course asked me what I did. The conversation went like this.
Guy: So what do you do?
Me: I'm a tech geek. (I wanted to be vague.)
Him: Me too!
Me: Really. Cool. What kind of tech?
Him: Sound recording!
Me: (face fallen) Oh really.
So much for my definition of tech geek, which I define as: Software, Internet and Web Application development. Any part of the development process. If you design UI, discuss HCI, write code, test or know why each part is important to the whole then as far as I'm concerned you're a geek. Hell - if you just love software, the Internet and web application you're a geek on some level.
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And then, Tomorrow night, I'm doing my mash-up show on Theory Radio. 8-11pm pacific time. I could make this into a bigger thing than I'm doing - but I really just enjoy mash-ups, you know, bastardized, mixed up music, and I love playing it on the radio. I like to play stuff that wouldn't necessarily be played on the "radio". And then I also play stuff I like.
Tune in sometime.
see you tonight!
Posted by: leahpeah | August 15, 2006 at 05:17 PM
Alas, I will not be there this time. One of the three (no, really, four!) possible event scheduled for this evening took precedence. But now that I know, I'll be on the lookout for next month (or the month after that).
Bon appetit! and happy chats!
Posted by: Susan Kitchens | August 15, 2006 at 06:04 PM